“If you want something said, ask a man; if you want it done, ask a woman.”
– Margaret Thatcher
General George Patton told us it was foolish to mourn the men who died. We should thank God such men lived. Because of these patriots we enjoyed our freedom on Monday. It’s the duty for every American to pay homage to our fallen warriors on their special day. Yet many graves remain unadorned Memorial Day for those special people who also made passionate commitments for our freedom. They are the forsaken American patriots who made formidable sacrifices for American liberty. They are the forgotten faces of war. They are our American women who energetically stepped up to serve our beloved country from the Revolutionary War’s Molly Pitcher to the thousands serving today. Many did not dawn uniforms but were emboldened freedom fighters. They should never be forgotten on Decoration Day.
“You can’t prove you’re an American just by waving Old Glory.”
– Helen Douglas
Throughout our history, women have contributed greatly to help Americans during our time of war. For centuries, women provided indispensable services such as cooking, nursing, and laundry for our armies. But it was after the Industrial Revolution, during WWI this changed abruptly. During the Great War, women from all walks of life served in copious multitudinal capacities. For the first time in our history, women from every class spectrum served the U.S. conjointly through highly organized groups and replaced men in the workplace. This was the watershed event that forever changed the way American women contributed to our sovereignty. The roles American women assumed during the 2nd Great War provided the foundation for our world preeminence today. Over 200,000 women entered the military and some six million flooded the workforce from 1941 to 1945. They protected the home front as if it was their family! They drove the engine that paved the way for our victory on D-Day in 1944.
“The more you do the more you can do. Energy begets energy.”
– Dorothy Fletcher
Rosie the Riveter is a U.S. cultural icon and typical of the patriotic American women who worked in factories and shipyards during World War II. These heroines produced strategic war supplies that propelled our brave troops to international victory. They boldly stepped up to take over jobs that their male counterparts left behind. Replacing workers in machine shops and foundries post haste was a necessity of war and they answered the call fervently. Rosie’s importunate fame became a global symbol of women’s economic and social power. Her image appeared in allied countries as women became iconic heroes when they appeared on posters encouraging our allies to support the war!
“It is not fair to ask of others what you are not willing to do yourself.”
– Eleanor Roosevelt
The cardinal duties our mothers and grandmothers performed in the name of liberty during WWII fanned the embers of freedom on our home front. Yet we hear little about those feminine warriors except Rosie the Riveter. But there were many wives and mothers left to manage their households, and do double dutya running America’s war machine. And the complexity of their jobs was immense. Although Rosie was a trail blazing feminist who captivated the world with her female might, many women worked arduously learning new trades while mothering full time as they patiently waited to hear from their soldiering spouses abroad. These are the forgotten faces of war that also deserve homage for their patriotic service.
“What one has to do usually can be done.”
– Eleanor Roosevelt
After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, our government called upon our factories to convert all operations into war machines. The workplace atmosphere in factories was often tense. This was due to resentment of labor union bosses dictating policy to reluctant manufacturers throughout the 1930s. Many companies were still feeling the sting of the aggressive attempts by organized labor to control free markets. The last thing they wanted was the U.S. government increasing their control over their war-time profiteering. In an effort to minimize past frictions with government and unions they imparted an olive branch to American women. They offered to train them and provide benefits for them and their families. The UAW produced a poster in 1942 showing management and women aligned maintaining an assembly line. This powerful poster read, “Together We Can Do It!” (UAW)
The need to mobilize the entire population behind the war effort was so compelling, political and social leaders agreed men would have to change their perceptions of gender as long as there was a national emergency at hand. And this resulted in new jobs, skills, and opportunities for America’s women. The new US “secret weapon” was the women who voluntarily mobilized to meet the tough challenges demanded of them. As government and industry rapidly expanded to meet our wartime needs, women made the impossible, possible happen. They needed to embrace many traditional male jobs during WWII and did this with little coaxing to heed to duties call. As the war continued, factories greatly expanded industrial output which made women the nations most dominate labor force. Our women ran the country, working day and night to meet the pressing demands of our war machine. They showed the free world.
“We make the things that matter, matter.”
– Teresa Funke
Before the war many occupations were reserved for men, and women were relegated to take the spoils. But that changed quickly. Women contributed in diverse ways prepared to do what it took to preserve world democracy and national peace. They not only labored in factories but were our new community leaders. They ran civil defense teams, coordinated blood drives, sold war bonds and rolled bandages. They tended Victory Gardens, and hosted events to entertain returning troops on leave. They recycled scarce materials for our country at war. They managed the strains of rationing gas, tires, sugar, meat, silk, shoes, and yes, even “nylons” and other necessary war commodities. They did this while sustaining their families, knowing many would face mourning after the war when loved ones never returned. They were aware.
“Only the dead have seen the end of war.”
– Plato
Although many women had college degrees, there were fewer opportunities for them to unleash the potential of their academics before the war. Since the government needed qualified leaders to teach and train, they immediately turned to this highly reliable resource. They were aware of the power women possessed and recruited heavily in our scholastic institutions. And this indefatigable group of patriotic women responded zealously. They hired our ladies for civilian management jobs as well as government service. “Government Girls” came from all corners of the nation to work in DC. They were the army behind the lines nourishing our liberty and supporting the war.
“It is quite amazing what a woman can do if they ignore everything that men say they cannot do.”
– Alice Paul
Abigail Adams said, “If we do not lay out ourselves in the service of a country who shall we serve?” American women faced their greatest challenges during wars. Their call to action was answered before it knocked on the door. During WWII they carried the torch that kindled the fires fueling our victory like those warriors of ancient Greece. They welcomed every challenge eagerly. They were the gate keepers that nurtured the embryos of world freedom. The graves of these forgotten faces of war and their patriotic counterparts that served before and after them should be consecrated with the same reverence as we honor our brave soldiers each Decoration Day.
“The essence of America that really unites us is not ethnicity, or nationality or religion but an idea, and what an idea it is: That you can come from humble circumstances and do great things.”
– Condoleezza Rice
